1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electroluminescence device and an electroluminescence apparatus applicable to display devices, light-emitting sources, or printer heads of electrophotographic printers, and methods for producing them. More particularly, the invention relates to a device and an apparatus using organic electroluminescence members suitable for full-color display of large screen, and methods for producing them.
2. Related Background Art
The known organic electroluminescence members are, for example, those disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications No. 6-256759, No. 6-136360, No. 6-188074, No. 6-192654, and No. 8-41452.
It is also known that these organic electroluminescence members are driven by thin film transistors, for example, as described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 8-241048.
For driving the organic electroluminescence members by the thin film transistors, an organic electroluminescence member had to be mounted per drain electrode pad of thin film transistor, however. Particularly, in the case of the full-color display, the electroluminescence members of three kinds for electroluminescence emission of the three primary colors, blue, green, and red, had to be patterned on a thin film transistor substrate. Since the thin film transistor surface had greater unevenness than thin films of the electroluminescence members, it was difficult to pattern the thin films of electroluminescence members in high definition and high density. A further problem was that productivity was low, because the two types of functional devices, the transistors and electroluminescence members, were concentrated on the thin film transistor substrate.
The organic electroluminescence members had a further problem that long-term application of dc voltage thereto shortened continuous emission time. Particularly, when they were driven by the thin film transistors disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 8-241048 etc., there arose a problem that the dc voltage was continuously applied to the organic electroluminescence members, so as to promote deterioration of the organic electroluminescence members.
An object of the present invention is to provide a device using organic electroluminescence members suitable for full-color display of large screen, solving the above problems, and a production method thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electroluminescence apparatus capable of continuous emission over the long term.
First, the present invention has the first feature of an electroluminescence device having a transistor substrate comprising thin film transistors arranged along a plurality of rows and columns, gate lines provided for the respective rows, each gate line being a common line for connecting gates of thin film transistors on one of the rows, source lines provided for the respective columns, each source line being a common line for connecting sources of thin film transistors on one of the columns, drain electrode pads each connected to a drain of the respective thin film transistors, and capacitors connected to the respective drain electrode pads; and an electroluminescence substrate comprising pairs of electrodes and electroluminescence members interposed between the pairs of electrodes, which are arranged along a plurality of rows and columns, wherein said thin film transistor substrate and electroluminescence substrate are placed opposite to each other so that the drain electrode pads and the electroluminescence members are opposed to each other, and wherein each drain electrode pad is connected through an adhesive electric connection member to one of a pair of electrodes.
Second, the present invention has the second feature of an electroluminescence device having a transistor substrate comprising first thin film transistors arranged along a plurality of rows and columns, gate lines provided for the respective rows, each gate line being a common line for connecting gates of first thin film transistors on one of the rows, source lines provided for the respective columns, each source line being a common line for connecting sources of first thin film transistors on one of the columns, second thin film transistors each connected to a drain of the respective first thin film transistors, and capacitors connected to the respective second thin film transistors, wherein a gate of each second thin film transistor is connected to the drain of the first thin film transistor, a drain electrode pad is connected to a drain of each second thin film transistor, and a source of each second thin film transistor is connected to one electrode of the capacitor; and an electroluminescence substrate comprising pairs of electrodes and electroluminescence members interposed between the pairs of electrodes, which are arranged along a plurality of rows and columns, wherein said thin film transistor substrate and electroluminescence substrate are placed opposite to each other so that the drain electrode pads and the electroluminescence members are opposed to each other, and wherein each drain electrode pad is connected through an adhesive electric connection member to one of a pair of electrodes.
Third, the present invention has the third feature of a production method of electroluminescence device comprising steps of: preparing a transistor substrate comprising thin film transistors arranged along a plurality of rows and columns, gate lines provided for the respective rows, each gate line being a common line for connecting gates of thin film transistors on one of the rows, source lines provided for the respective columns, each source line being a common line for connecting sources of thin film transistors on one of the columns, drain electrode pads each connected to a drain of the respective thin film transistors, and capacitors connected to the respective drain electrode pads; preparing an electroluminescence substrate comprising pairs of electrodes and electroluminescence members interposed between the pairs of electrodes, which are arranged along a plurality of rows and columns; placing an adhesive electric connection member on at least one of the drain electrode pads of the transistor substrate and the electroluminescence members; and overlaying the thin film transistor substrate on the electroluminescence substrate opposite to each other so that the drain electrode pads and the electroluminescence members are opposed to each other.
Fourth, the present invention has the fourth feature of a production method of electroluminescence device comprising steps of: preparing a transistor substrate comprising thin film transistors arranged along a plurality of rows and columns, gate lines provided for the respective rows, each gate line being a common line for connecting gates of thin film transistors on one of the rows, source lines provided for the respective columns, each source line being a common line for connecting sources of thin film transistors on one of the columns, drain electrode pads each connected to a drain of the respective thin film transistors, and capacitors connected to the respective drain electrode pads; preparing an electroluminescence substrate comprising pairs of electrodes and electroluminescence members interposed between the pairs of electrodes, which are arranged along a plurality of rows and columns; placing an adhesive electric connection member on at least one of the drain electrode pads of the transistor substrate and the electroluminescence members; placing an adhesive electric insulator around the periphery of the adhesive electric connection member on at least one of the drain electrode pads of the transistor substrate and the electroluminescence members; and overlaying the thin film transistor substrate on the electroluminescence substrate opposite to each other so that the drain electrode pads and the electroluminescence members are opposed to each other.
Fifth, the present invention has the fifth feature of a production method of electroluminescence device comprising steps of: preparing a transistor substrate comprising thin film transistors arranged along a plurality of rows and columns, gate lines provided for the respective rows, each gate line being a common line for connecting gates of thin film transistors on one of the rows, source lines provided for the respective columns, each source line being a common line for connecting sources of thin film transistors on one of the columns, drain electrode pads each connected to a drain of the respective thin film transistors, and capacitors connected to the respective drain electrode pads; preparing an electroluminescence substrate comprising pairs of electrodes and electroluminescence members interposed between the pairs of electrodes, which are arranged along a plurality of rows and columns; placing an adhesive electric connection member on at least one of the drain electrode pads of the transistor substrate and the electroluminescence members; placing an adhesive electric insulator around the periphery of the adhesive electric connection member on at least one of the drain electrode pads of the transistor substrate and the electroluminescence members; overlaying the thin film transistor substrate on the electroluminescence substrate opposite to each other so that the drain electrode pads and the electroluminescence members are opposed to each other; and evacuating a space between the thin film transistor substrate and the electroluminescence substrate and heating the adhesive electric connection member and adhesive electric insulator to cure said member and insulator.
Sixth, the present invention has the sixth feature of an electroluminescence apparatus having first switching devices arranged along a plurality of rows and columns, first wires provided for the respective rows, each first wire being a common wire for connecting first terminals of first switching devices on a row, second wires provided for the respective columns, each second wire being a common wire connecting second terminals of first switching devices on a column, electroluminescence elements, each having one electrode connected to a third terminal of a first switching device, other electrode, and an electroluminescence member interposed between the one and other electrodes, capacitors connected to the respective third terminals, second switching devices, each being provided between one electrode of an electroluminescence element and a third terminal of a first switching device, third wires connected to the one electrodes of the electroluminescence elements, third switching devices disposed in the third wires, and driving means, said driving means applying a first on signal pulse for turning the first switching devices on, to a first wire of a predetermined row, applying a first off signal pulse for turning the first switching devices off, to the first wires of the other rows, applying an information signal pulse of a forward bias voltage according to information, to the second wires in synchronism with the first on signal pulse, and applying a second on signal pulse for turning the second switching devices on, to a control line for the second switching devices over a predetermined period in, before, or after application of the first on signal pulse for said predetermined row, thereby activating writing into each electroluminescence member on said row; then said driving means applying a second off signal pulse for turning the second switching devices off, to said control line after the predetermined period, applying a third on signal pulse for turning the third switching devices on, to a control line for the third switching devices in, before, or after application of the second off signal pulse, thereby actuating reverse bias applying means set so that a reverse bias voltage is placed between said third wire and the other electrodes of the electroluminescence elements.
Seventh, the present invention has the seventh feature of an electroluminescence apparatus having first thin film transistors arranged along a plurality of rows and columns, first wires provided for the respective rows, each first wire being a common wire for connecting gates of first thin film transistors on a row, second wires provided for the respective columns, each second wire being a common wire for connecting sources of first thin film transistors on a column, electroluminescence elements, each having one electrode connected to a drain of a first thin film transistor, other electrode, and an electroluminescence member interposed between the one and other electrodes, second thin film transistors connected at gates thereof, each being provided between said drain and one electrode of the electroluminescence element, capacitors connected to the respective drains, first switching devices, each being provided between one electrode of an electroluminescence element and a drain electrode of a second thin film transistor, third wires, each being connected to one electrode of an electroluminescence element, second switching devices provided in said third wires, and driving means, said driving means applying a first on signal pulse for turning the first thin film transistors on, to a first wire of a predetermined row, applying a first off signal pulse for turning the first thin film transistors off, to the first wires of the other rows, applying an information signal pulse of a forward bias voltage according to information, to the second wires in synchronism with the first on signal pulse, and applying a second on signal pulse for turning the first switching devices on, to a control line for the first switching devices over a predetermined period in, before, or after application of the first on signal pulse for said predetermined row, thereby activating writing into each electroluminescence member on said row; then said driving means applying a second off signal pulse for turning the first switching devices off, to said control line after the predetermined period, and applying a third on signal pulse for turning the second switching devices on, to a control line for the third switching devices in, before, or after application of the second off signal pulse, thereby actuating reverse bias applying means get so that a reverse bias voltage is placed between said third wire and the other electrodes of the electroluminescence elements.
Eighth, the present invention has the eighth feature of an electroluminescence apparatus having: switching devices arranged along a plurality of columns and rows, first wires provided for the respective rows, each first wire being a common wire for connecting first terminals of switching devices on a row, second wires provided for the respective columns, each second wire being a common wire for connecting second terminals of switching devices on a column, and electroluminescence elements, each having one electrode connected to a third terminal of a switching device, other electrode, and an electroluminescence member interposed between the one and other electrodes; and driving means, said driving means applying a scanning selection pulse for selecting at least one row out of said plurality of rows, to a first wire corresponding to the selected row, applying an information signal pulse for bringing the electroluminescence members into a forward bias state according to information, to each of the second wires in synchronism with the scanning selection signal, and applying a bias voltage for bringing the electroluminescence members into a reverse bias state, through a third wire to the electroluminescence members before start of application of a next scanning selection signal or a scanning selection signal thereafter to the first wire corresponding to said selected row.